The Coastal Challenge
The Corcovado Victory Lap
Jackie Windh / 24.03.2016
This was still not an “easy” day, at 23.5 km. But it was much easier than anything we’d done all week, with only 584 m total elevation gain and loss. It was definitely a much lighter mood at the start line this morning: in a few hours, we’d be able to call ourselves finishers of The Coastal Challenge 2016!
We started with uphill run on dirt roads for a few km, before turning off along a jungle path and descending to a very scenic stream, which we waded up for a kilometre or two, before ascending a very steep path to arrive at a beautiful roaring waterfall. We had to descend a steep and slippery slope to cross the narrow gorge below. The trail was a bit backed up here at the descent (volunteers and companions were also allowed to run today, so there were well over a hundred people on the course) so I waited in line with the others. Safety crew were stationed at the two narrow crossings, along with a rope.
Then it was our big uphill of the day, a very steep jungle track along which we quickly gained 100 m. I was having a good day, again, and moved ahead of a lot of racers on these uphills. Then our route opened out to dirt roads through farmland, with a few river crossings along the way - scenic and easy running. but quite exposed to the sun here.
It was 14.5 km to the only PC, which was our transition to beach: looping back to camp along the northern shores of the Osa Peninsula. We had to keep a close eye out for flags here, to know whether to run on the beaches themselves (the prettiest beaches in Costa Rica, according to RS Rodrigo Carazo, and I definitely agree!) or to look for runnable trails that cross the headlands, and in some places continue along behind the beach.
I fell into pace with a young kid, an 18yo who was accompanying his mom, Frannie Day, who was running the Expedition race. Today’s run was Stuart’s first run over 5k! He and I worked together looking for the flags, which weren’t always easy to find. Then we came across a pair of Scandinavian girls with dozens of pink ribbons tied in their hair. “You can’t take those, we need them!” I cried.
“Oh don’t worry,” they laughed, “there are lots of them out there.”
Stuart and I ran the whole last 10k together. I was really glad for the company - I had run parts of the race with other people, but not long stretches, working together like this. And he appreciated my experience in pacing and route-finding. So Stuart and I made a good team, and we crossed the finish together in 4:01:01 - a pretty slow-sounding time for what’s just over a half-marathon, but there was some pretty slow terrain in the jungle (and besides, this was my last day of a 225 k week!).
Things were interesting in the men’s race today. Defending champ Iain Don-Wauchope, of South Africa, was starting the stage with a 1 hr 7 minute lead over second-place Gonzalo Calisto of Ecuador. Chema Martinez (the 2:08 marathoner from Spain), had been looking strong and had made a bit of a move the day before, finishing that stage together with Iain - but he was nearly 2 hours behind Iain in the overall rankings, so not in a position to threaten Iaian’s overall win.
So Iain took it easy, and even brought his camera along! Chema, however, was in the mood to run. Chema took the stage win in 2:11, with Carlos Gómez de Sá of Portugal, who has been running in 3rd position most days, just four minutes behind him. Iain, who had won all of the other stages, finished only seventh, in 2:25:09 - but I am sure he had a fun run!
There was nothing to race for in the women’s competition either. Portugal’s Ester Alvez had a 42 minute lead over Elisabeth Barnes (UK/Sweden), and the third-place woman, Amy Gordon of the USA was over 8 hours behind Elisabeth and therefore no threat. So Ester and Elisabeth made the Victory Lap into a fun-run, and did the whole thing together, finishing in 3:24:05.
Rodrigo had estimated that slower runners would take around 4 hours to finish this lap. However, I finished in the top half of the field and I took 4 hours! Racers continued to come in for hours, and there was a big round of applause for every one of them. Canada’s Kandace Carr was the last fully-ranked Expedition racer to arrive, in 8:19:42. (Of nine Canadians entered in the Expedition race, only three of us finished: Kandace, Jenny Benedetto, and me).
Our camp at Drake Bay was a fantastic place to spend the afternoon - dealing with feet and hair and other body issues, eating (and drinking), and simply enjoying an afternoon where, for once, we had nothing programmed to do. Awards would be presented that night, and then we’d have to be up early again to get our gear packed for the open boat ride up the coast and then up the Sierpe River, and then the bus trip back to San José. The race might be over - but we still had some adventuring to do to get back home!
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